Lost in the Shadows
by LadyandtheTurtleduck
Summary: Gajeel is lost, but Levy won't let him go so easily. She's determined to get him back no matter what.


**A/N: **Hey there! So, apparently it's Gajevy week and naturally all the art and fics of my favorite pair got my mind flowing with ideas. I think one of the prompts is Demons, so this kind of fits in with that. This is set during during the Tartaros arc. Actually it could probably be set in the next few upcoming chapters, not that I think that this will actually happen. This ones a little more angsty so get ready and enjoy!

P.S. Just for clarification _italics _are flashbacks.

**Disclaimer: **I own zero parts of Fairy Tail.

* * *

Levy stared at the menacing, red eyes looking back at her. The sneer he wore chilled her to the bone. It had been a very long time since she felt truly afraid of Gajeel. Sure he was strong, and intimidating, but Levy knew he really was sorry for what he did to her back then. She knew Gajeel had changed. She was positive he wouldn't hurt her. That's how she knew that this wasn't Gajeel.

No, Gajeel was gone. This was someone else entirely. Someone she had faintly seen before. Someone that had almost been Gajeel's undoing. Almost.

How had things taken this horrible turn for the worst? They had been winning, but as expected demons do not go down easily.

* * *

_Levy and Gajeel were determined. After everything that had been done to their friends, their whole guild, they had to win this fight. It wouldn't be easy, but they had to win. _

_It was difficult at first, but eventually they found a rhythm and began to work together. Levy was stronger after opening her second origin and Gajeel had gotten stronger too. They began to believe that just maybe they could win this fight._

_After receiving a few harsh blows from the demon, the two of them put everything they had into a few final, powerful attacks that they hoped would be fatal. The demon had been momentarily taken by surprise at their power and fell. _

_Gajeel and Levy were panting heavily from their battle. It had been a hard fight and their magic power was low. _

"_Gajeel," Levy spoke in between breaths, "do you think that did it? Did we win?"_

"_I sure as hell hope…"but he was cut off as a large amount of magical power came in and swept Levy off her feet into a nearby wall. _

"_Levy!" Gajeel yelled in horror as he watched her small frame hit the wall and cry out in pain. _

"_You shouldn't let your guard down," the demon said with a smirk. "But don't worry, after I finish her off your next."_

"_Don't worry Gajeel I'll be…" Levy started weakly as she tried to pull herself up into a sitting position. Her sentence was cut off however, when she started to cough up blood. _

_Gajeel had had enough. He was done with this demon and all of Tartaros and the pain they had caused Fairy Tail. The pain they were causing Levy right now._

_He knew this thing would be tough to take down. He had to use extreme measures if he wanted to win. He just hoped it would be enough. _

_Channeling all his strength and rage Gajeel shouted, "Iron Shadow Dragon Mode!" and began to intensely attack the demon again with his strongest spells being enhanced by shadows. _

_Levy watched, amazed by his strength and determination. She began to slowly stand up to help him when she noticed his attacks becoming wilder and crueler. It was as if with each attack he became angrier and angrier, until finally the demon fell, for good this time._

_Somewhere between going into Iron Shadow Dragon Mode and defeating the demon, Gajeel felt himself slip away. _

_Gajeel whirled from the demon and turned to Levy. In an instant he had one hand around her throat, while the other slammed her into the wall for the second time that day. Levy was shocked._

"_Gajeel..?" she choked out._

* * *

Gajeel laughed darkly. Well, at least his body did. "Think again little girl."

Realization suddenly came over Levy. There was only one person this could be, or perhaps thing was the right term. Seeing as Gajeel was still in his Iron Shadow Dragon form…

"Shadow," she said weakly. "You're that mysterious shadow that was possessing Rogue during the Grand Magic Games."

"That is correct and I haven't forgotten how Gajeel rudely defeated me back then causing me to leave Rogue's body. Since then I have been patiently waiting in the shadows for him to use his shadow magic again. And now I am going to destroy him from the inside out… But first I think I'll kill someone he cares about. That will surely cause him pain," the shadow said as he slammed Levy into the wall another time.

Levy cried out in pain. She couldn't let this happen. She would not let this malicious shadow take Gajeel. Gajeel had defeated him before and he could do it again. For the time being he was gone, but maybe he wasn't lost, not yet.

"Gajeel," Levy cried, as she was slammed into the wall again. Tears streamed down her face, they mixed with the blood. "I know you're in there. You can fight this, I know you can."

"Be quiet you foolish girl! I have complete control over him. There's nothing you can do. Why do even want to save scum like this anyway, especially after what he's done to you? He was destined for darkness."

"You're wrong," Levy said softly. "Gajeel, you know I've forgiven you. We all have even Jet and Droy. There's a reason Rogue couldn't fight off the possession. He was internally weak. His guild couldn't help him build up the emotional strength he needed. But you're different. You have guild members, friends, family that care about you. I care about you. You were strong enough to change, and you are strong enough to fight this."

Levy's voice got increasingly quieter as his hands tightened around her throat. Her talking became almost gasping, but as she finished, she could have swore for a fraction of a second that his grip on her throat loosened slightly and his eyes faltered.

Her heart soared. Maybe there was hope after all.

"That is enough!" he roared and started to slam her against the wall repeatedly.

Levy couldn't help it anymore, she started sobbing and shrieking from the pain. If things stayed as they were, he really was going to kill her.

"Gajeel, please.." she managed to gasp out.

* * *

Gajeel was lost in the darkness. He didn't know where he was or what was happening. He was adrift in a pool of infinite blackness.

He couldn't find a way out. There was nothing he could do, but stay there and let the shadows consume him. "Maybe this isn't so bad," he thought disoriented.

But then he heard a voice. A voice he knew well. "Gajeel" it called. That got his attention.

"Levy?" he thought. Was she stuck in this darkness, too? She sounded like she was in pain. That irritated him. He didn't like when she was in pain.

"You can fight this," he heard her say faintly.

Fight this? What was he fighting? And was she… crying? He would definitely fight anything that made her cry. Now he just had to find it.

But he could feel the darkness sucking him in again. Pulling his mind somewhere far away. "No!" he thought. "I have to save Levy!"

Gajeel had to try extra hard to stay alert now. He was starting to lose Levy's voice. He could only make out fragments. "…forgiven you….possession…emotional strength…friends, family care about you…I care about you…strong enough to change…fight this."

Gajeel could tell Levy was still in pain and he quickly realized that this was not something he could fight with his fists. Instead he focused all his internal energy into fighting the darkness and BAM!

For a moment he saw her bloody and beaten and crying. He could feel _his_ hands wrapped around her throat for just and instant. It horrified him.

"No," he thought. This couldn't be happening. "I promised to never hurt her again."

He heard her shriek over and over again and plead "Gajeel please.." That was enough. He couldn't stand to hear her in pain anymore. He had to get out of here _now. _

"No. No! NO NO! NOOOO!" Gajeel roared.

Suddenly Levy felt his hold on her release and her body sink to the ground. She managed to open her eyes enough to see Gajeel in front of her on his knees with his head down. Relief flooded through her. Everything hurt and she was barely conscious, but she was alive and so was he. At least she thought he was alive.

"Gajeel?" she asked quietly, her voice strained from screaming.

He moved, and she sighed with relief. Gajeel shifted his gaze to her and stared at her intently.

"I hurt you." She could hear the guilt in his voice.

Levy painfully inched towards him and wrapped her arms around his torso. "Gajeel, thank God," she cried softly, this time from relief. "It's alright, it wasn't you. I'm just glad you're okay. You beat him. I knew you could do it."

Gajeel didn't say anything back, instead he just wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. He wondered how in the world she could be so forgiving. How could this tiny girl in his arms be so strong?

"You pulled me out," he whispered to her still distraught. "I was lost, but you brought me back. How did you pull me out of the darkness?"

Levy pulled back slightly to smile up at him. She put her small hand on his cheek. "You pulled yourself out Gajeel, I only helped. You're not alone anymore. You have people that care about you and I know that you care, too. That's how you broke free, so don't be too hard on yourself okay?"

Gajeel stared down at her incredulously. He was the one that was supposed to build her up, to make her big. But here _she_ was making _him _stronger. He couldn't understand what he had ever done to deserve this. For the moment, though, he didn't care. He was just happy that she was here, with him, alive. So, he smiled back and pulled her close again.

* * *

**A/N: **Wow this idea sounded a lot better in my head. Sorry if you think the end was a little cheesy. Also, I'm not really sure how the whole iron shadow dragon stuff works or if Shadow even could possess Gajeel, but bear with me. I think that Natsu can use his fire lightning dragon slayer magic even without consuming lightning if the circumstances are drastic enough right? I'm just gonna assume Gajeel's magic works the same way. If I'm wrong then use your imagination? Anyway, as always thanks for reading and I'd love for you to review! And if you're just reviewing to tell me that this is unrealistic then you're probably right!


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